State police already short staffed
by Mike Donoghue, Vermont News First
A version of this news story appeared this morning in the Caledonian-Record.
Six Vermont State Troopers assigned to the St. Johnsbury barracks have been placed on paid administrative leave while they are investigated for conduct during an ongoing incident on duty last month.
State Trooper David Garces was initially placed on leave for a police case that spread into New Hampshire and back into Vermont.
State Troopers Colin Connery, Elisabeth Plympton, Luke Rodzel, Gabriel Schrauf and David Wicks were relieved of duty about a week later, according to two people briefed on the case.
The case reportedly involved a possible domestic abuse complaint that started in Vermont and later went into the Haverhill, N.H. area. during the night of Dec. 22 and early morning hours of Dec. 23, police said.
The troopers were trying to track the suspect. The internal investigation reportedly centers on the department’s policies concerning car pursuits and the use of spike strips to deflate tires of unresponsive drivers. The investigation will include statements from the troopers and the video from their body and cruiser cameras, according to a person familiar with the VSP Internal Affairs Office.
“The Vermont State Police is ensuring full police coverage despite staffing shortages at the St. Johnsbury Barracks,” department spokesman Adam Silverman said.
“We are doing so primarily by having troopers who are assigned to surrounding barracks report instead to the St. Johnsbury Barracks to work their regular shift. In addition, some troopers are working overtime assignments as necessary to provide for full staffing,” Silverman said.
The St. Johnsbury barracks covers all of Caledonia County, much of Orange County and the southern half of Essex County, although the department contracts with the Essex County Sheriff’s Department to handle many of the calls for service.
State police have about 53 vacancies across Vermont and troopers had been ordered earlier to take mandatory overtime work to plug shifts due to vacancies.
As part of the investigation, Vermont News First was told that the case also includes the arrest of a Newbury man on Dec. 23 for charges of driving while intoxicated with drugs, resisting arrest and violating the conditions of release from an earlier criminal case, according to state records.
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Vermont State Police reported Timothy Kearney, 31, of Newbury, was arrested following a traffic stop on Interstate 93 in Waterford about 3:22 a.m. on Dec. 23.
Trooper Garces said Kearney displayed signs of impairment during the traffic stop and he was arrested for suspected DUI-drugs. Kearney resisted arrest during the stop, Garces said in a news release, but did not elaborate.
Garces said Kearney was processed at the local state police barracks and issued a court citation ordering him into Vermont Superior Court in St. Johnsbury on March 4. He was later released into the custody of the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility, Garces wrote.
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Categories: Crime, Uncategorized
more drama in government
So much for “public safety” in the most rural counties. The territory is barely covered and now less covered. The criminals appreciate the bureaucrats making their dirty deeds much easier to perpetrate against the People and the People have no say or protection either way. Yet, it is our labor and taxes paying for all of it nonetheless.
So you want to raise out taxes?
Wow, must be serious, did they misgender someone?
Next time a call comes in about a domestic violence incident, dont waste the valuable time a highly-trained State Trooper, just send over a social worker. The replacement troopers during the suspension have better things to do than have to drive a lot of extra time to cover a far away barracks’ territory and they may already be spread too thin to want to work the overtime. The overtime costs the taxpayers more too. Let them do their job tracking people down when they need to. Warning the public about a potentially dangerous situation is what the lights and siren are for.
Let’s see the state police get a call on ” domestic violence,” the number one liberal concern ” red flag ” nonsense, and for the police doing their job and chasing down this POS, they get reprimanded ……….. what BS.
As stated above ” send a social worker ” that should fix the problem, or until that person calls a police officer because they were just beaten….. fools in charge !!
Yes! This is the “New progressive Vermont” I’m an old man that grew up a law and order Vermont who supported babies in and out of the womb and put bad people away sometimes permanently. It was a safe Vermont run by sane, common sense people that had morals and principles. Now we protect criminals and kill babies and prevent our police from doing their job. A very sick and immoral state. God help us!
Weird, we have less crime now than in the 80s and 90s.
they are on paid leave/// that can not hurt to bad/// let us take a poll and guess what they did/// wish they would spend time at the state house with the drug dog///
I wish Col Birmingham would be placed on leave that would solve half the problem
I believe the new motto for the Vermont State Police should be: “Dammed If You Do, Dammed If You Don’t “.
Wonder why police recruitment is down all over our country? Classic example
Some bird brain, during a staff shortage, gave several highly trained and expensive law officers time off with pay, added the cost of overtime to the budget, Further cut back coverage in neighboring barracks, and all for a minor infraction of some words on paper. The problem with the state police seem to be with its upper management, not the troopers. I am all for holding police to a very high accountability bar, but this bar they chose, was tooooo low. Since the troopers will probably be exonerated, they should have been kept on patrol pending an inquiry, not an investigation and eventually, a commendation.
One thing about domestic violence, knowing people who taught men at domestic violence classes, many, the vast majority of men deal with what had happened and change their ways, and how they deal interpersonally.
Unfortunately, the women don’t have to do any education, and upon going back home many of the men find the situation is just unruly and have to part ways.
The plan is for women and men to live in harmony, loving and supporting, however it takes two to make a good relationship. Men and women should both go to counseling and better their communications and relationship.
It takes two to fight, two to tango and two to love………
I absolutely concur Mr. Johnson. Women sometimes make me want to smack them upside the noggin. But then most of them are left/woke/progressives… so there’s that. (For all you folks about to take umbrage at that second line… it’s called a joke. Remember those?)
But I really do agree that it takes two and women should be in some sort of class as well. Indeed, they should offer relationship, human relationship (not necessarily romantic relationship) classes before kids become adults. Oh wait, they are busy learning other important things. Silly me.
liberal woke policies protecting the criminals from justice and punishing our law enforcers….. this government is the enemy of the people
On the bright side soon there will not be enough cops to enforce all of the stupid laws this communist legislature passes.
“More laws, less justice”. – Marcus Tullius Cicero
my hero/// the drug dog//// protecting me from unstable mind less zombies
tel//// lie//// vision/// three days late on this news////
It is a wonder we have any men still willing to serve in law enforcement at all.